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12 Reasons You Can’t Stop Eating

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When it comes to snacking, do you feel like once you pop, you can’t stop? Your biology, habits, and surroundings may all be to blame.

by
Mary Squillace 1 / 12

1. You need more sleep

Falling short on shut-eye can make you consume more food throughout the day. In a 2012 Mayo Clinic study, individuals who cut their sleep time by an hour and 20 minutes a night consumed an average of 549 more calories the next day than those who caught their usual amount of Z’s. The results might have to do with the effect sleep has on our levels of ghrelin and leptin, two hormones that work together to stimulate and suppress appetite. What's more, feeling sluggish may cause you to turn to a snack for a quick pick-me-up. “An exhausted person will look for energy in food, and then it becomes a habit,” says Keri Gans, RD, author of The Small Change Diet.Sleep Better Tonight >>>The #21DayShred: Download the blueprint to building a rock solid, shredded body>>>

2. You skip meals

Ditching breakfast or lunch can cause you to eat more at dinner, thanks to the hunger-stimulating hormone ghrelin. “There’s nothing to stop the ghrelin from telling the brain you’re hungry other than eating. So if you miss breakfast, that hormone is already running high in your bloodstream and it’s hard to shut off at that point,” explains Marjorie Nolan, RD, author of Overcoming Binge Eating for Dummies.12 Foods That Fill You Up >>>

4. You guzzle protein shakes

Downing a whey shake after a workout or as a midday snack can help repair and build muscle, but if you’re relying on them as actual meals, you might begin to feel like a bottomless pit. “Our bodies want to be able to chew on something,” Nolan says. “You may be getting enough calories, but the way you’re getting them can leave you hungry.” Case in point: A 2012 study from the Netherlands found that longer chewing times were associated with lower calorie intake.8 Best Protein Powders for Vegetarians >>>

6. You feel stressed or upset

Turns out, you really can eat your feelings. “If you’re a stress eater, you might not be able to tell the difference between real hunger and stress hunger. It’s just a response, it’s not hunger that makes you want to eat,” Nolan says. In fact, a recent study published in Psychological Science found that NFL fans eat more fatty foods the day after a loss than a win. “It goes back to when we were young. Food is often used to soothe us as children and then that idea’s engrained,” Gans adds.12 Protein-Filled Foods for Your Physique >>>

7. You eat in front of the TV

A recent research review from the University of Birmingham in the UK suggests that distracted eating makes you consume more food during a meal as well as later on. A smarter alternative to eating screen side: “Carve out time, disconnect, and actually sit down and put food on a plate,” advises Gans. “Make it an actual meal instead of a grab and go.”8 Amazing Fat-Burning Intervals >>>

9. You booze

Who hasn’t experienced the inhibition-lowering effects of alcohol? And, though sometimes liquid courage might be just what you need, it’s a saboteur when it comes to controlling your appetite. “Once you start downing beers, your inhibitions go out the window, and you may not stop eating something you don’t normally allow yourself,” Gans explains.Gluten-Free Beers You've Gotta Try >>>

10. You eat straight from the package

Eating out of a multiple-serving package can result in a binge—even if you aren’t enjoying what you’re eating. Research from Cornell University found that moviegoers who were served stale popcorn out of large buckets ate 34% more than those who ate from medium-sized containers. Subjects who were given fresh popcorn ate 45% more from large tubs. “Whether it’s eating ice cream from the gallon, chips from the bag, or nuts from the jar, when you eat directly from the package, you lose all sense of portion control,” says Gans. “When they don’t portion your food out you will find it hard to stop after one serving.”20 New Healthy Snacks Under 200 Calories >>>

12. You smell or see food

Once you catch a whiff of something tasty, your olfactory system signals your gut to release ghrelin, which can lead to false hunger, Nolan says. “You may know you ate, but that doesn’t mean your stomach isn’t going to growl,” she says. Likewise, seeing food can spur psychological hunger, even if you’re not physiologically hungry.The Best and Worst Foods a Man Can Eat >>>